Thumbs up, thumbs down

Published 4:35 pm, Monday, December 10, 2012

THUMBS UP to the former Danbury High School students and to Tim Salem, the school's ex-assistant principal, who were recognized Friday by Save the Children upon the completion of The Promise School in the Darfur region of Sudan. The school was the culmination of the students' four-year campaign to raise awareness of the atrocities and genocide in Darfur, a campaign that brought pressure on the state of Connecticut to halt investments in the region and included the making of the documentary video "The Promise." The students collaborated with employees at the Cartus Corp. in Danbury and students at North Farmington High School in Michigan to raise $100,000 to build the school.

THUMBS DOWN to Robert Kennedy, former president of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, and to the board itself. Hard to say who conducted themselves more shamefully when it came to the tens of thousands of dollars in perks racked up by Kennedy in his ill-fated 13-month tenure. No one is suggesting Kennedy didn't deserve to be reimbursed for legitimate business expenses. But, as shown by Hearst Connecticut Media reporter Bill Cummings' story last week, the definition of business expenses in this episode was farcical. Sirius XM radio? Gourmet coffee? A $350 dinner with a Malloy administration official? The board initially allowed Kennedy to claim unvouchered expenses in an amorphous "accommodations account." Those sorts of things used to be called "slush funds." The board also struggled to produce a straightforward accounting of Kennedy's spending and reimbursements. Neighborhood lemonade stands have more rigorous paperwork standards. At least the regents recognized last week the need to have clearer financial and expense systems in place.

THUMBS UP to Maureen and Brendan Walsh, the Danbury couple who have taken Buddy into their home. Buddy, you'll recall, is the 9-year-old German shepherd mix who was found in his home, emaciated and weak, after his owner had died. Buddy had survived for five weeks on a small bag of food and a dripping water faucet, never hurting his deceased master. The Walshes adopted Buddy after he was nursed back to health at Noah's Ark Hospital. By all accounts, Buddy is already repaying his new owners with affection and loyalty.